WTF?

My current a/v receiver is showing it’s age. I bought it in 2001, and it was probably introduced a year or two earlier than that. It’s a Pioneer VSX-D509s. It works great for what it does, but it’s now lacking features that I want. Component video switching, composite and s-video to component up-conversion, more than two optical audio inputs, and more. I think I’ve picked out what I’d like replace it: Denon AVR-2106. It’s not cheap, at $700 (or $500 refurb). I can afford it, but I think could probably get by just fine with my current setup and a Pelican HD Selector. It just seems like a lot of money to spend on something I don’t really need. On the other hand, I could then sell my recently purchased Polk XM Receiver, and get a much cheaper connect-and-play antenna instead, as the Denon receiver is XM ready. But then I have to deal with the hassle of actually selling it. One reason I sort of don’t want to buy it now is that I know I’ll want another one in a few years for DVI. Receivers with DVI are terribly expensive at the moment, but I could definitely see myself wanting one.

Dammit, I wish I could just make a decision.

Thanks to FatWallet, I picked up a nice new Darth Tater at Kmart today. $3.99 + tax. Sweet. No clue what I’m going to do with it, but I couldn’t pass it up for $4 (of course, regular price is only like $9).

My file cabinets were delivered today! So, combined with the kitchen countertop I got at Home Depot, I now finally have a desk. It’s not exactly how I expected, but I think it’s going to work out very nicely. The sticker on the countertop said 30 x 96, so I stupidly assumed it would be 30″ deep. I ordered 28 1/2″ deep file cabinets. As it turns out, the countertop is only 24 1/2″ or so deep, so with the top sitting flush against the front of the cabinets, it’s between 4 and 5 inches away from the wall. It’s actually quite handy, as I have all my cabling running across there now. I set up my Windows box on it and can finally play poker without killing myself sideways on my couch. Now I just need a new chair.

With my poker machine set up on my new desk, I actually got around to playing a little bit tonight. I discovered Stars’ new 20 table (180 player) SNGs. Awesome idea. I love being able to get into a smallish MTT any time I want. It’s part of the reason I liked UB back when I started playing. They had those $5 tourneys like every half hour. I played in one $20+2 20-table SNG, was absolutely card dead for the whole thing, and finally busted in 92nd when the first real hand I saw was dominated (KK vs AA). I think I’m really going to like these things, though. I made around $60 (including losing $40 with AA vs 99 all-in preflop) playing two $100NL 6max games at Stars while playing in the SNG. I used to not play there because the competition was so tough… well, it seems to have changed. I saw some of the most horrible plays there that I’ve ever seen. I think I’m going to have to go back. Maybe just the limit game at Stars is tough. Or I suck at limit. Either way.

Hopefully, I’ll really get back into the online poker thing shortly.

This time by the damn ten pin, again in the 8th frame. Of course, I didn’t finish out the game with four more strikes, so I guess it doesn’t matter anyway. But all three of those 9s were solid pocket ten pins.

Dammit, I want my 300.

A disappointing finish for me today, but I’m happy with every play I made. I got AA vs KK and had a nice stack in the middle of the second hour. Spaceman was pretty shortstacked, but still with an amount of chips that would hurt to lose, and pushing in every few hands. I folded A3, 88, 66 to his pushes, and then finally called with JJ. He flipped A7o, and rivered an ace. The next hand I pushed with AKo and flopped my king to lose to CJ’s flopped set of tens, for a 45th place finish. I’m happy with both of those decisions. I just hate pocket jacks.

Thanks for hosting, Pauly!

Alrighty… tourney report, by level, with the help of PokerTracker. As you’ll see, I didn’t win this with skill, it was just a question of getting completely run over by the deck and getting lucky on one hand.

Level I (10/20): The very first hand of the tournament, I get AJo, and raise it up from middle position. whoisspain, who took second in the first WWDN Invitational, calls my raise and we see an A2K flop. I bet the flop, 9 turn, and 8 river, and he calls me down with KQ. After the first hand, I’m the chip leader with 2110.

Level I (10/20): Still in the first level, I’m dealt AQo in the cutoff. Dixinator raises to 60, and I reraise to 120. He calls. He bets 100 on the 2A8 flop, and I raise to 350. He calls, and that scares me. We check the K on the turn, and I call his 150 bet on the river. He turns over A7, and I take the pot. My stack is up to 2750 in the first level.

Level II (15/30): I see a free flop from the big blind with Q♣2♣. The flop is T♣Q♠7♣. I bet 100, and get one caller. I bet 200 at the K (not ♣) turn, and then pair my 2 on the river but miss my flush. I bet 200 again, get called, and take down the pot. maxxel had KJo, and had me beat on the turn, but I had plenty of outs, and wouldn’t have bet or called had I not improved. Stack: 2810.

Level II (15/30): I open raise to 90 from the button with 76s. Arcon reraises from the big blind to 150, and I call. I catch a whole bunch of the 477 flop, and it goes check-check. Arcon comes out firing for 150 on the J turn, and I raise to 450. He calls. He check calls 450 on the 7 river. Them’s quads, beetches! He had KJ. Stack: 4225.

Level II (15/30): Very next hand, I get KK in late position (seat got filled, so I’m not in the cutoff). UTG limps, and I bump it to 120. Three callers. 26K flop. Bingo! Two clubs, so I have to play it fast. UTG fires out 230, and I quickly raise to 1000. We lose the other two, and UTG pushes. I call, and see him turn 22 for bottom set. Running 88 gives us both full houses, and I take the pot and bust littlerobbie. Stack: 7110, chip leader again.

Level III (25/50): Nothing much interesting happens in this level. I win a few, lose a few. My brother does get moved to my table during this level.

Level IV (50/100): I raise to 400 from the button with TT, Arcon calls from the big blind. I make a weak bet on the 8T8 flop, but he folds. Damn. Next hand, I raise preflop again with T9s, Arcon calls again. I miss the flop, but raise his 400 bet to 1000. He calls. Oops. He bets the turn, and I fold. Stack: 5165.

Level V (75/150): First hand at this level. I limp UTG with 88. I see the flop with the blinds, my brother and SoxLover. 8J4, two spades. When will I learn to slowplay? SoxLover bets 300, I raise to 800, and they both fold. Stack: 5765

Level V (75/150): Here’s the big one. Donegal pushes all in for 1170 UTG. SoxLover raises to 4200, and I wake up with KK. I push in for 5990 total, and SoxLover calls the extra 1790. Donegal has A6s, SoxLover has QQ. One 6 comes out on the flop, but no more help for anyone, and I take it down. Stack: 13375.

Level V (75/150): I call a raise from SoxLover with 65s. Flop is 76J, check-check. He bets the 4 turn, and I call. 6 on the river, and he pushes. I call, and he shows K8s. I take it down and bust him. Stack: 16669.

Level V (75/150): A couple of hands later, Wil gets seated at my table. I raise his first blind, and he calls me a bully and folds. I show him my JJ.

LeveL VI (100/200): I get KK for the fourth time in the tournament, my first hand at a new table that includes Iggy and Derek. I raise, take down the pot, and show it. Stack: 16544.

Level VI (100/200): I get the hammer in the big blind. maximovies raises in early position, and I reraise to 1500. I get reraised more, and have to fold. Stack: 15744.

Level VII (100/200/25): I don’t win any big hands, and lose a bunch of chips. Stack: 14770.

Level VIII (200/400/25): I lose a race with 44 vs heffmike’s A6. Stack: 9644.

Level IX (300/600/50). My stack is getting short, 6104. I get TT in the big blind, and reraise heffmike all-in. He shows JJ. Oops. I flop a ten, and double up. Stack: 13058. This was the only time I got lucky when I had chips at risk. heffmike is crippled with 2598 left, but recovers nicely and makes the final table.

Level X (400/800/50): I win a few, lose a few, basically fold and steal my way to stay alive. Here’s my only other close call of the tournament, and it wasn’t really. I’m fairly shortstacked with 10708 chips. I have KQ on the button. There’s a push for 2289 before me, and then it folds to me. I opt to fold it instead of push the rest of my chips in. Lucky me, as both blinds wake up with AK, and they chop the pot vs the small stack’s 55 when the case king flops. Stack after the level: 8958.

Level XI (600/1200/75): Still folding and stealing, I bust Kevinho with AK vs AQ. Stack: 15891.

Level XII (1000/2000/100): Fold and steal. Bust Toby039 (who busted Wil, and has next week’s tournament name) with AK vs AQ. Stack 35714.

Level XIII (1500/3000/150): I fold and fold and fold. Iggy busts Pauly. Iggy busts maureen73 with back to back suckouts, and then heffmike the next hand when he wins a race. We get three handed. I push with K6o. Iggy calls with 83o? I double up when I flop my king.

Level XIV (2000/4000/200): A few hands later, he doubles me up again with my KT vs his T3. I win the next hand when I reraise with AQo, and then he doubles me up AGAIN when my ATo beats his 62o. This all happened so fast I couldn’t believe it. Stack: 133712.

Level XIV (2000/4000/200): I get us heads up when my J9s turns a jack to beat RAH2′s K7. I have a 6:1 chiplead.

Level XIV (2000/4000/200): We play a total of 6 hands heads up. I double him up with 22 vs TT. On the final hand, he calls from the button, and I check with J♦3♦. I bet 5000 at the 5♦K♦4♥ flop. Iggy raises 7000 more, and I call. The turn is the 6♦, making my flush. I check, and Iggy pushes. I call, and he flips 87o, no diamonds, for a straight, drawing dead. The river doesn’t matter, and I win!

I hope to see everyone tomorrow:

Saturdays with Dr. Pauly on PokerStars
Saturday 11.5.05 @ 1pm EST
$10 + 1 NL
Password is hiltons
Tournament #14338880 (check under Private Tournament Tab)

First place prize = Phil Gordon’s Little Green Book
Pauly’s bounty = $15 iTunes gift certificate

I just won the WWDN Donegal Invitational!

I’ll have a full tournament report after I eat and get to Home Depot, but let me just say right now that the deck hit me in the face, and I got lucky the one time I needed to. It finished as a heads up battle between me and Iggy, and lucky for me he was Guinness fueled.

You can read Wil’s liveblog of the event here.

Thanks Wil for hosting! It was a blast!

My series from last night:

The 8th frame of the second game, I left a four pin. Good shot, just a touch high. Shoulda carried. Dammit. I’ll get my 300 eventually. Pretty bad series considering I had a 279 in there, but I can’t really complain any time I average 221 over 3 games.

Just in case you are reading this and somehow haven’t read this stuff elsewhere:

WWdN: Donegal Invitiational on PokerStars
Friday 11.4.05 @ 7pm EST
$10 + 1 NL
Password is monkey

Saturdays with Dr. Pauly on PokerStars
Saturday 11.5.05 @ 1pm EST
$10 + 1 NL
Password is hiltons
Tournament #14338880 (check under Private Tournament Tab)

WPBT Shootout on Full Tilt
Sunday 11.6.05 @ 3pm EST
$10 + 1 NL
Email Bill for the password
Restricted to only bloggers/readers who will be heading to Vegas in December

Haven’t played much (any) poker since my fun donkey session last weekend, so nothing to write about that. Just too damn busy, unfortunately.